MADURAI: A 17-year-old boy was hacked to death by a five-member gang near the vehicle parking area close to the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai in the early hours of Monday, police said.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, the accused, including a youth identified as Muthumani, have been arrested. Preliminary investigations revealed that a prior enmity linked to a dispute during the Chithirai festival allegedly led to the murder.

According to police, the victim was sleeping at the Madurai Corporation-owned vehicle parking area near the temple when the gang entered the premises armed with sickles and other deadly weapons. The assailants allegedly attacked him indiscriminately around dawn, killing him on the spot before fleeing the scene.

After receiving information, police rushed to the spot, recovered the body and sent it for postmortem examination. A detailed investigation was launched, leading to the arrest of all five accused involved in the murder.

Police sources said that the victim and Muthumani had reportedly clashed during the recent Chithirai festival celebrations, and the attack is suspected to be a fallout of that dispute. Officials also said the deceased boy allegedly had multiple criminal cases pending against him.